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President Trump and Secretary Rubio bring more noise than progress to U.S. Caribbean policy
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s trip to Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname failed to impress either the residents of these countries or the American public. Media coverage in both the U.S. and the Caribbean was notably sparse and unremarkable, perhaps because Rubio openly stated that his purpose was «primarily to advance America’s foreign policy priorities», largely ignoring Caribbean interests.
Washington has historically viewed the Caribbean as a backwater, with no U.S. president ever developing concrete or comprehensive plans for the region, aside from openly hostile ones targeting socialist Cuba. While most politicians and ordinary Americans see the Caribbean as merely a sunny tourist paradise with plenty of rum and beautiful beaches, security analysts often describe it as the United States’ «third border» — a frontline in the fight against drug and arms trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.
Secretary Rubio’s visit was ostensibly aimed at freeing the islanders from the «plague» of arms and drug trafficking. In reality, however, he focused more on exploring opportunities to exploit emerging oil reserves and to build anti-Chinese and anti-Venezuelan coalitions under the banner of «America First!»
Mauricio Claver-Carone, Trump’s special representative for Latin America and author of the «maxiёmum pressure» sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela during Trump’s first term, stated that Rubio’s visit prioritized energy security, economic development, and crime and violence. Yet he warned Caribbean leaders against raising issues such as migration and Cuban doctors, describing them as a «waste of time».
Rubio’s first stop was Jamaica. In Kingston, he stated that Jamaica could benefit from localizing arms supply chains and promised U.S. assistance to curb gang activity on the island. For the past five years, Jamaica has consistently ranked second in the Caribbean region in terms of violence, surpassed only by Haiti, recording 1,139 murders last year — all committed with weapons manufactured in and trafficked from the United States. Rubio promised initiatives aimed at reducing recruitment into criminal organizations but notably avoided addressing measures to halt arms and drug trafficking originating from the U.S.
In Kingston, Rubio also held bilateral meetings with the leaders of Barbados, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago, all members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Just before the meeting, CARICOM’s 15 member countries held an emergency session to establish a unified stance for negotiations with the U.S. Secretary of State.
Surprisingly, Caribbean leaders were unanimous in expressing concern about «missed opportunities», specifically criticizing the U.S. suppression of Cuba’s medical assistance program and U.S. immigration policies. They condemned U.S. sanctions, arguing that such measures deprive their populations of essential health care.
«We ask you not to support human trafficking», Rubio responded, referring to Cuba’s international medical missions. However, Jamaica’s foreign ministry clarified, «The Jamaican government has thoroughly reviewed the health cooperation plan and found no link to human trafficking».
Participants also criticized Trump’s immigration policies, noting that deportations could trigger a jobs crisis in the region and drastically reduce vital remittances that support local economies and families. For Caribbean nations, especially Haiti, this is a dire warning that will negatively impact people fleeing war, unrest and political upheaval in search of a better life.
From Jamaica, Rubio traveled to Guyana, a nation poised to become the world’s largest oil producer per capita, surpassing Qatar and Kuwait. Guyana has become strategically important to the U.S., while neighboring Venezuela is considered the «Latin American Iran».
In Georgetown, Rubio courted President Irfaan Ali, offering military assistance against «threats from neighboring Venezuela». According to the Associated Press, citing the U.S. State Department, Rubio signed a secret agreement with Guyana’s foreign minister to increase intelligence sharing and military cooperation between the two countries.
Claver-Carone has previously stated that the U.S. plans to establish a binding security relationship with Guyana similar to that in the Persian Gulf, where American troops protect oil-rich Arab monarchies from Iran. Given Trump’s penchant for global expansion, especially in the Western Hemisphere, some interpret Claver-Carone’s comments as the White House preparing for a potential war with Venezuela by occupying Guyana.
Rubio’s final and brief stop was in Suriname, a country with rich natural resources but a struggling economy that is positioned to become a major player in the energy sector. Suriname’s president, Chan Santokhi, called for easier access to climate finance. Rubio ignored this request and instead sharply criticized China’s growing influence in Latin America and the Caribbean. He highlighted concerns about the quality of infrastructure, debt burdens, and data security risks posed by Chinese projects, and encouraged American companies to offer better alternatives.
Curiously, Rubio began his press conference in Suriname’s capital, Paramaribo, by joking about the poor quality of a Chinese-built road to Guyana’s airport. «They (the Chinese) don’t just do a bad job, they do a terrible job», Rubio claimed. «We almost got concussions from how bad the road was. It was terrible». It appears, however, that the concussions may have occurred earlier and elsewhere than on the Chinese-built roads.
Meanwhile, China has become a major player in the Caribbean, investing in infrastructure such as roads, ports, real estate, social services, and communications. Rubio offered nothing comparable, other than to urge American companies from Suriname to invest in Caribbean development.
What does Trump 2.0 mean for the Caribbean? Some regional leaders do not expect significant changes under the new administration.
«We have worked with President Trump for four years in many areas, so we don’t see any major changes in how we will interact during his second term», said Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Trump himself has indicated that his new administration will seek to expand U.S. power, influence, and possibly even territory, and not just in the Western Hemisphere. One of his first acts upon taking office was signing an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the «American Gulf», though this designation remains largely unrecognized outside of official U.S. government circles. Initially, Trump threatened to take control of the Panama Canal, and while that issue has faded recently, it remains a real possibility. Perhaps a similar fate awaits Guyana.
CARICOM leaders have expressed a desire for President Trump himself to visit the region. For now, they continue awaiting the arrival of the «big man»…